Protective folder



July 24, 1934- M. l.. MCKENNA 1,967,584

PRoTcTIvE FOLDER Filed bei. 19, 1932 Patented July 24, 1934 umriss sTATEs PATENT GFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in protective folders.

More especially, it relates to folders suitable for enclosing and protecting articles of wearing ap- 5 parel, household linens, blankets, etc., and particularly designed for compact, convenient and safe packaging of dainty frocks and Wraps for travel. v The invention provides for the use of very thin, exible and transparent sheet material as Y lO the body of a folder, and employs a lattice of suitably durable, flexible material which divides the folder body into a multiplicity of panes or sections.A Each run of the lattice constitutes also a strip hinge on which the body may be folded.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a durable yet light-weight folder which may be folded to various degrees, for enfolding and protecting articles of'various sizes and descriptions.

Another object is to provide a folder which Will be proof against moisture. Y

Still another object is to employ a body material which has the effect of preventing wrinkling of materials enfolded therein.

Still another feature resides in the transparent quality of my protective covering.

It is, moreover, an important feature that my latticed folder is durable although very light in Weight; and is useful for every day use, for shielding garments in a closet, or for protectedly exposing them in show places, as well as having especial utility for compact and safe packaging of articles for insertion in a traveling bag, trunk, or for storage.

These objects and results may be attained by securing Cellophane on a lattice of suitable strip material such as fabric, and employing the lattice strips as fold lines on which the various panes or sections of the folder body may be laid 40 over upon neighboring sections. In one form of the invention a single large sheet of Cellophane is blocked off by the lattice, while another form employs multiple-Cellophane blocks or panes hingedly connected together by the lattice strips. In either case, the strips may becombined with a fabric, or other, binding around the edge of the folder to provide a shapely, durably strong, yet

readily foldable structure.

In its wide open state, my folder offers its full sheet area for reception of a spread dress, wrap,

etc.; or the article to be enfolded may be arranged on the central panel or panels, either across or along the folder body. Preferably, however, articles will be arranged on the panel or panels $5 extending along the body, from top to bottom as herein illustrated. The respective side panels then may be folded inward, with one underlying the other above the central panel. Or the lower cross panel first may be folded inward, followed by the inward folding of the thus shortened side panels. The folder may be secured, as by ties or fasteners, in either of the mentioned partially folded states, for hanging a garment in a closet,

or for display purposes, by' means of a usual hanger whose hook portion may protrude through an opening in the top of the folder, Where, preferably, a flap section is provided, and falls loosely in this partially folded condition of the folder.

For packing the enclosed garment in a bag or trunk, or for packing articles for storage, the 7g hanger will be dispensed with, and the device may be further folded, on the transverse fold lines,'into a compact bundle little more than the size of a single one of the sections but, of course, having thickness dependent upon the bulk of the enfolded garment. The flap section now is brought over against the compactly folded mass and the whole may be secured, as by tie strings extending all around the bundle.

It is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression in the appended claims7 whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a preferred form of 35 the invention, spread open, and with the exterior `surface uppermost;

Figure 2 is an elevation showing the device of Figure 1 in a partly folded state in which a garment within it may be hung in a closet;

Figure 3 is an elevation showing the device fully folded and tied; and

Figure 4 illustrates individual sections of Cellophane secured together by hinge strips along the fold lines. f 95 Referring to the drawing, the lattice 10 may be regarded as made up of strips of suitable fabric, and the transparent body material is secured to the lattice, as by stitching l2, and is divided by the lattice into a multiplicity of panes or sections 14. l

In Figures 1-3, a single large sheet of the body material, which may be Cellophana is employed, and is divided by the lattice l0 into twelve panes 14. A further pane 16, in the nature of a flap-section, is provided at a central location at the top of the main body, for a purpose later to be described.

As herein illustrated, the panes 14 are arranged with three panels extending along the body, from top to bottom, and with four cross-panels. However, any desired number and arrangement of the panes may be employed, and the panes may be as large or as small as is desired. To facilitate folding, the panel of panes 14, to the left in Figure 1, are narrower than the panes of the other two panels. This permits the narrower panel to be folded inward in a manner not to interfere with the subsequent inward folding of the opposite side panel, and it minimizes the tendency toward binding when the device is further folded to its fully compacted condition.

It is a feature of my folder that it has particular utility both in party folded and fully folded states. Thus a dress arranged on a usual hanger may be arranged on the central panel, and be protectively enclosed by the inward folding of the two side panels. Ties 18, or other fasteners, provide for closing the bottom as in Figure 2; and ties 20, or other means such as snap-fasteners, are provided for securing the side panels in their inward turned positions. And a slot 22 at the hinge joint of nap-section 16, permits protrusion of the hanger hook for engagement with a bar or other support. The flap-section 16, in this case, closes the top, except for the small slot 22, and hangs loosely down against the in-folded panels. If desired the lower cross-panel of Figure 1 may be folded over on its neighboring cross panel prior i to the folding of the side panels as described above.

This effects a tight closure of the bottom, but the protector is correspondingly shorter. The upfolding of the lower panel shortens each of the longitudinal panels to the extent of one section 14, but the two side sections may be folded inward1 in the same manner previously described.

For packing and storage purposes, the device as seen in Figure 2 will be further folded. First, however, any hanger will be removed, and the nap-section 16 opened outward. Then, beginning at the bottom end, the device with contents may be folded on the transverse runs of the lattice 1G, into the compact form of Figure 3. The flap-sectibn 16 now is brought over on the outside of the fully folded mass and, by the ties 24, which may extend all around the package, is secured in the compact condition.

The flap-section 16 serves also as a carrier of identification matter. For this purpose a transparent pocket 26 is provided therein for insertion of a label with any desireduinformation thereon. The lattice 10 lends a desired shapeliness to the transparent body material, assisted by the fabric or other binding 28 which extends all around the edge of the folder sheet. And the lattice further provides the needed strength and durbility, coupled with a desired flexibility along each fold line, thus ensuring a long efficient life for my folder.

The moisture-proof character of the folder has especial advantage for sea travel, where moisture and salt air combine to work havoc with delicate fabrics, even though these may be cared for painstakingly. My folder effectively shields its contents against moisture, and it embodies the further important advantage which accompanies the use of Cellophane for its body, namely, the capacity to enfcld contents without seriously wrinkling them.

I claim as my invention:

1. A folder comprising thin, flexible-sheet body material secured on a lattice of stronger material in flexible strip form; said lattice dividing the body sheet into a multiplicity of sections, and constituting a multiple hinge structure wherein a plurality of strip hinges extend along the body material and a plurality of strip hinges extend across the body material; each said section having an edge secured. to a longitudinal hinge strip and an edge secured to a cross-wise hinge strip, whereby each said section is foldable upon a section which is adjacent to it in the longitudinal direction, and is foldable upon another section which is adjacent to it in the cross-wise direction.

2. A folder comprising thin, flexible-sheet body material secured on a lattice of stronger material in flexible strip form; said lattice dividing the body sheet into a multiplicity of sections arranged in panels, and constituting strip hinges along the dividing lines between the sections; each said section being foldable, on either of its hinged edges, backward or forward with respect to the plane of the face of the sheet body, whereby a folding of a longitudinal panel of sections mayprecede a folding of a cross-wise panel of sections or this order of folding may be reversed.

3. A folder comprising a series of panels of panes of flexible, transparent sheet material, wherein the respective panes are defined by durable strip material secured to the sheet material; a binding all around the edge of the folder and joined with the ends of the said strips; said strip material being a network of intersecting longitudinal and cross-wise strips constituting, withA said binding, a frame in which the respective panes are set; said frame being foldable on any of its strip portions either forward or backward with respect to the plane of the face of the spread folder, whereby any one pane may be interfolded to overlie any other pane; and means for securing the panes in interfolded relation.

4. A folder comprising a multiplicity of transparent iiexible panes arranged in three panels extending along, and four panels extending across, the folder; a lattice of durable strip material secured to and hingedly connecting the respective panes; each said pane being foldable upon an adjacent pane on both a longitudinal and a cross-.- wise strip of the lattice; whereby interfolding of panes can attain a package approximately in size the area of a single pane, or may produce a packe age approximating in size, the area of two, three or four panes.

5. A transparent moisture-proof folder corn-A prising Cellophane blocked into a multiplicity of panes by a lattice of stitched, durably flexible strip material, and bound all around its edges by a similar strip material; said panes beingv are ranged in panels which extend both along and across the folder, with each panel foldable in ward as a unit on its strip hinge, and with the folded panels further foldable, on the cross-strips, into a flat package little larger than a single one of said panes; there being cross ties for securing the panels in folded relation, other ties for closing the bottom of the folder, and still other ties for encircling and securing the folder in itsr fully folded condition.

' MARY L. MCKENNAL.

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